Irreplaceable
by Meruhen Wind
Summary: Neji x Hinata. Neji has a onesided conversation with his deceased father. Hinata, of course, overhears. Note: Somewhat OOC Neji.


A/N: Yes, a Neji x Hinata. It seems every time I write this pairing it turns out OOC...this is no exception. ;-; Well...I kinda don't know how to explain the story, but it's basically this: Neji's having a one-sided conversation with his deceased father, and Hinata overhears. OOC Neji, obviously.

As to why I wrote this story, I blame the fact that one of the most important people in the world to me, is, unfortunately, close to being a genius. As a result, I tend to see a lot of what 'geniuses' think.

* * *

"No prodigy is ever irreplaceable. It's a well-proven fact. 

"Without me, there'd be another Neji-without me, another #1 rookie. There's an excellent substitute in Naruto, or any of the others, for that matter. Without me, there'd be another prodigy-the Uchiha, I suppose. Even if I weren't a genius, Konoha would still be able to rely on Shikamaru. So you see-there's really no purpose I have for myself. What's needed isn't me-it's the place I fill. A place that others can fill just as well. I'm not only a caged bird…I happen to be one bird out of many who can fit the cage.

"I'm a Hyuga-but one from the branch house. I've always hated Hinata for her being a main house member-for being born into the place she was. But maybe-maybe I don't hate her for her role after all.

"Maybe what I hate her for…is her nature. She's weak. A failure. Her voice isn't that of a Hyuga's, crystalline, beautifully cold. It's the squeak of the scampering mice as they dart across a room. Quietly soft, coming and disappearing. A sound you hate but wait to hear again, because you get worried that maybe your walls aren't thick enough after all, because it's such a weak sound…too weak to hear. But it gets through to you anyway, and you can't help but remember how _nice_ it sounds.

"Hinata's mind isn't like a Hyuga mind, sharp and fixated. It harbors no precious ideals of honor. Her mind is the mind of the mediocre shinobi's when it comes to knowledge-she's no Sakura, to be sure. As for intent, life-defining fixations…Hinata doesn't have any. Unless you choose to count blond, ramen-gobbling idiots.

"Hinata could care less about honor-she doesn't understand the relations between a clan heir and a branch member-she doesn't understand that they do not refer to them as 'nii-san' nor give them a sad smile instead of a haughty smirk. She doesn't understand that honor demands aloofness instead of that concern she's so quick to show-that honor demands no mistakes, nor admitting them, instead of her gentle nature. She doesn't understand, I think, because her mind harbors thoughts of something else. Compassion. A useless idea, especially for a ninja.

"You taught me to be a good observer, father. I know how often she trained, throughout the years, how much she strained herself. I know why she did it too. Idiotic Hiashi-sama. How can he do that to his daughter, knowing how impressionable she was? I understand that he does it to make her stronger-but can't he see that isn't the right way? At that rate, Hinata will always be weak. And idiotic me too, because I act like him.

"Because I turn the other shoulder, follow the fate set for us as Hyuga even though I know that Hinata needs help breaking free of it. But most of all, idiotic Hinata.

"Because she's not supposed to be so weak-not so weak that she can actually get hurt to the point where I feel this guilty/murderous/worried for her. I know it seems like I'm rambling, but I'm getting somewhere with this-Hinata is a failure.

"And I know I already said that and it doesn't seem to be connected with the thought that I'm replaceable. Well-here's the thing. Failures are irreplaceable. For every Hyuga who can perform difficult Justus, there are millions. For every Hyuga who fails and ends up punching at a tree, tears streaming down her face…well, there are still a few out there. So maybe what I meant to say isn't that Hinata is irreplaceable because of that at all. What I mean is…she's irreplaceable because during her failures, she's still herself.

"More than just a failure, more than just a weak heir-she is always _Hinata_ to me. What I mean is…she's irreplaceable to me. And that's not fair, dammit, because I'm not irreplaceable at all!

* * *

"That's not true!" Hinata tells me, loudly, firmly, her voice coming in all of a sudden. "You're Neji-niisan! You're not just a genius, nor just a Hyuga-you're my…my…" she blushed. "You're special to me, nii-san!"

"How long…have you been standing there?" I ask, cheeks glowing with warmth.

"I'm sorry...for interrupting you while you were praying to Uncle," Hinata speaks, cheeks stained pink. "But I'm sure he wants me to. Shikamaru's intelligence might surpass yours…and Sasuke-kun might grow up to be just as powerful…a-and Naruto…" Her voice trails off. Ah, the standard blush, the shade that her cheeks turn just for Naruto. Who is, of course, irreplaceable to her.

"Naruto'll grow up to be the greatest ninja in Konoha…but he could never replace you!" Hinata finishes with a surprising amount of strength.

"Huh?" I question. For once in our lifetime, I can't understand what Hinata's trying to say.

But she tries to explain, anyway. "No matter your accomplishments…or your lack of them…Neji-niisan is Neji-niisan!"

"…There are over 502 Neji 's in our clan's history, Hinata-sama," I point out, clever as always.

Hinata blushed. In addition to fighting and leadership skills, she's a failure at inspirational speaking. But that doesn't mean she won't try anyway. "There might be 501 Hyuuga Neji's…but there's only one Neji-niisan to _me_. I know it doesn't mean much to you, Neji-niisan, but...you're not irreplaceable. At least…not to me."

I say nothing. After all, there's very little to say. But I can't help but think back, Father…

Hinata's right. It didn't mean much to me.

Just the entire world.

* * *

A/N: It's official. I stink at endings XD. They always turn out sappy, for some reason or another... 

Anyway, please review if you feel like it. If only to chew my head off for making Neji that teary and melodramatic.


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